Man sentenced to serve time after gas station shooting

Criminal District Attorney Bob Wortham announced that State District Judge Raquel West of the 252ndDistrict Court of Jefferson County accepted a jury verdict and sentenced James Viltz Thomas, 40, to 10 years in prison.

According to the announcement, on December 21, 2016, the Port Arthur Police responded to a 911-dispatch call referencing a shooting at the Raceway gas station located at 2705 Memorial in Port Arthur. Jerry Hernandez was approached by a stranger, Thomas, and then assaulted. After a physical scuffle Thomas then retrieved a loaded AR-15 from his vehicle. Once law enforcement officers arrived on the scene, they found Thomas on the ground with a loaded AR-15 rifle. The investigation revealed Thomas had violently assaulted the victim, Hernandez by shooting him in the arm with the high-powered rifle. The victim’s wife and baby were also in the vehicle but did not sustain injury. In an effort to escape the attack Hernandez struck the shooter with his vehicle and retreated to a nearby store.

Thomas was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The range of punishment faced was 2 to 20 years in prison. The 12-person jury deliberated and returned a verdict of ten years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

While we harbor no disrespect for the Wall Street Journal who called us “that scrappy little paper from Southeast Texas,” we prefer to think of ourselves as simple seekers of the truth. We’re of the opinion that headlines and sound bites never tell the whole story. Our readers demand all the facts, facets and flavors of every story or event. And, they expect to be informed, educated and stirred to action.